Tacoma’s War on Medical Marijuana

By
Cannabis Defense Coalition
on October 18, 2010

Click to enlarge.Medical cannabis providers in Tacoma, Washington were served with cease and desist notices by the city on Friday, an escalation in what activists are calling the city’s war on medical cannabis.

Tacoma is home to a dozen or more medical cannabis providers licensed to do business in the city. Most of them received certified letters from a city licensing agent claiming that “dispensing medical marijuana to more than one person is illegal” and demanding the clubs shut down by October 24. The letter states that failure to comply will result in fines and penalties “up to and including criminal prosecution.” It was copied to several police officials.

Last May, law enforcement shut down the North End 420 Club in a raid led by a federally-funded drug task force from neighboring Kitsap County. In July, Tacoma police raided Tacoma Hemp Company one month after it’s founder organized the city’s first Hempfest. Other providers have been visited by the police in recent months, and activists claim the city’s actions are part of a campaign to undermine the state’s medical cannabis law.

“If this move by the city stands, other cities across the state may take similar actions,” said Ezra Eickmeyer from the Sensible Washington initiative campaign. “Tacoma’s order to cooperatives is a threat to the medical marijuana community statewide.”

Several of the medical cannabis providers that received cease and desist letters responded with public calls to protest Tuesday night’s meeting of the Tacoma City Council. “We shall fill your chambers and spill into the streets,” wrote Emiel Kandi, who operates COBRA Medical Group. “We shall be heard.”

Please do everything you can to spread the word before tomorrow evening’s city council meeting. Attached is a poster to post in your favorite dispensary.

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As of October 18, 2010, the Cannabis Defense Coalition is comprised of 163 dues paying members. The cdc-alerts list has 1,229 subscribers.

Cannabis Defense Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit member cooperative focused on marijuana activism in Washington State. We support, create and organize around forward-thinking reform projects with our volunteer labor and fundraising efforts. To join as a voting member of the coalition, send $40 to CDC, PO Box 45622, Seattle, WA 98145, or pay online at http://www.cdc.coop. We would be honored to earn your support. One may reach us with questions, case information, arrest reports and the like via the Washington State Potline at 888-208-5332, or stop by the Cannabis Resource Center, 1714 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134 during business hours.

Call to action: Peaceful Protest at Tacoma City Hall

by Sensible Washington

This weekend, a legal shot was fired from the City of Tacoma at the heart of the emerging medical marijuana cooperatives. Friday, Tacoma cooperatives operating in the open were just issued letters ordering them to cease dispensing marijuana by October 24 or face fines and criminal charges!

If this goes unchallenged, Tacoma medical patients will be forced back to the black market to get their medicine and years of progress will be lost. We need your help quickly.

We’re calling on everyone, and we mean “everyone”, to gather your friends and family and come join us for a “fight for our rights” protest at the next Tacoma City Hall meeting on Tuesday at 4:30 PM. We need hundreds of people to come and say no to the City of Tacoma.

We will show up with as many people as possible to let the city know that it’s immoral and dangerous to the health of Tacoma patients to close down cooperative storefronts.

Please forward this email far and wide and help us recruit “everyone” to show up Tuesday night at 4:30. Can we circle the building with peaceful protesters? – Only if you get on your email and get on your phone and start recruiting. Tacoma patients really need your urgent help.

If this move by the city stands, other cities across the state may take similar actions. We have to effectively fight this right here and now. Tacoma’s order to cooperatives is a threat to the medical marijuana community statewide.

What: Peaceful protest at Tacoma City Hall

When: Tuesday, October 19 4:30 – 7:00 PM

Where: Tacoma City Hall, 747 Market Street, Tacoma

Feel free to call our central phone line at 206-774-0725 or email [email protected] if you have questions or to let us know you are coming and how many people you are bringing.

Thank you all for your great work and we’ll see you Tuesday in Tacoma.